Christ's Flesh

In our last Sermon we examined the issue on the nature of Christ and clearly understood, through the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, that Christ took upon Himself our fallen, sinful nature. We will now examine the issue of Christ's flesh. This issue is similar to what we studied regarding the nature of Christ, but it has more ramifications.

The main point at stake with this issue is whether Christ lived His human life on this earth in sinless or in sinful flesh. Many will admit that Christ took man's fallen nature upon Himself, but believe that He did not also take and live in the sinful flesh of man. They believe that He was somehow protected from accepting this sinful flesh at birth and lived only in sinless flesh, which we, as human beings since the fall of Adam, know nothing about.

While others believe that Christ did indeed take upon Himself and live in the sinful flesh of fallen humanity. Again, we cannot trust to our own ideas, or to the ideas of any other person, in this important area. So what does God's word state?

"Therefore (David) being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne." Acts 2:30.

So Christ was born from the seed of David according to the flesh. And what kind of flesh did David possess in which he would pass on to all of his offspring? David did not have sinless flesh to pass on to his children, but only sinful flesh. Thus what kind of flesh was Jesus born with and chose to live in? It was not sinless flesh, but sinful flesh.

It is important to understand that Jesus did not commit sin in order to obtain the sinful flesh of humanity, but He voluntarily took upon Himself the fallen nature the sinful flesh at birth. Another way in which you could state this same fact is that since Jesus did not commit sin in order to obtain our sinful flesh, He took upon Himself the same likeness of sinful flesh which all the offspring since Adam's fall, including that which Abraham, David, and Mary possessed. So Christ took the likeness of sinful flesh upon Himself, but it was still the very same sinful flesh that you and I possess and know about.

Thus Christ was fully God and fully man at the same time, yet He voluntarily chose not to live in the unfallen nature of His Godhood, or even to use His God powers, while He was living on this earth.

"He was not only made flesh, but He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. His divine attributes were withheld from relieving His soul anguish or His bodily pains." SDA Bible Commentary, vol 5, p 1124.

"The Redeemer of the world clothed his divinity with humanity, that he might reach humanity; for, in order to bring to the world salvation, it was necessary that humanity and divinity should be united. Divinity needed humanity, that humanity might afford a channel of communication between God and man, and humanity needed divinity, that a power from above might restore man to the likeness of God. Christ was God, but he did not appear as God. He veiled the tokens of divinity, which had commanded the homage of angels and called forth the adoration of the universe of God. He made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. For our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich." Signs of the Times, February 20, 1893 (vol 3, p 24).

Christ chose to bridge the gulf that sin had made between humanity and God by taking our fallen, sinful nature upon Him and living in sinful flesh. Thus Christ is the connecting Link between God and humanity. Jesus did not just pretend when He took upon Himself sinful flesh, he did in reality take it upon Himself and live in it. And what consequences did this bring to Him?

So Jesus, the spotless lamb of God was willing to be treated as you and I should have been treated. He was willing to unite Himself and eternal interests with fallen, sinful humanity--to become human. Brothers and sisters, understand that Jesus was willing to become one of His own creation. What love is this! What immense love does this show to you and me?

"He humbled himself to pass through man's experiences, and he would not turn aside from the plan by which salvation could come to man. Knowing all the steps in the path of his humiliation, he refused not to descend step by step to the depths of man's woe, that he might make expiation for the sins of the condemned, perishing world. What humility was this! It amazed the angels. Tongue can never describe it. Pen can never portray it. The imagination cannot take it in. Sinless and exalted by nature, the Son of God consented to take the habiliments of humanity, to become one with the fallen race. The eternal Word consented to be made flesh. God became man." Signs of the Times, February 20, 1893 (vol 3, p 24).

Tongue can never proclaim this love in it's fullness; pen can never describe it in it's entirety. Christ's love amazed the angels; it amazed all the unfallen universe; and it should amaze all the human race that Christ would consent to go step by step all the way down to reach us where we were that He might bring us up and connect us with the Father. God became man. Christ chose to become one of His own creations!

Now lets look at an example. What if you had the power to create worms? And you saw that these worms were heading straight for a cliff. And if they fell over it they would be destroyed. Would you, out of love for the worms that you created, consent to be made a worm yourself in order to speak their language, feel what they feel and are going through, in order to reach them where they were? Would you be willing to be made one of your own creation in order to save just some of them from certain destruction?

Brethren, Christ was willing to be made a worm in order to save us--see Psalms 22:6. He was willing to go however far it was necessary to save you and me from sin and destruction. What an infinite love--a love that can never be sounded to it's depths! And that love is freely given for you and me.

Now some believe that even though Christ took our fallen nature upon Himself, and even though He chose to live in sinful flesh, they adamantly teach that Christ did not feel or have to repress the inward sinful tendencies and desires of sinful flesh like we experience. Thus they strongly proclaim that any temptations which Christ experienced were always from without, like Adam before the fall, and were never experienced from within, like all humanity since the fall of Adam experience when we are tempted.

"Of course, Jesus was born different. He had a sinless human nature, the same as Adam had before his fall...Therefore it was natural for Jesus to be good. I was born with a sinful nature, and it's natural for me to be bad...Jesus had the absolute, perfect, sinless nature of Adam before he fell....Jesus never had to go through the sinner's struggle [of overcoming temptation and sin]..." Salvation by Faith and Your Will, p 86, 93, 96.

"Although born in the flesh, He [Christ] was nevertheless God, and was exempt from the inherited passions and pollutions that corrupt the natural descendants of Adam. He was without sin, not only in His outward conduct, but in His very nature." Questions on Doctrines, p 383.

"He [Christ] knows the human struggle in temptations...because of His unique divine nature rather than from an identical human nature." Adventist Review, February 1, 1990, p 21-22.

In other words, the SDA church is teaching that since Jesus was born different and did not have to struggle with the inner urgings towards sin, then Jesus did not really receive a fallen nature or sinful flesh from Mary. This doctrine leads directly into the Catholic doctrine that Mary was also born sinless, or the teaching of the immaculate conception of Mary.

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" Romans 8:3.

Thus Christ chose to live in sinful flesh so that He could condemn sin, not outside of His flesh, but so that He could condemn sin in His flesh. And since Christ condemned sin in His flesh, this means that He experienced all the inward, downward pulls and desires towards sin, which are innate, or originate naturally from the fallen nature and sinful flesh which He took upon Himself. This means that Christ was tempted from within, exactly how every human being since the fall experiences temptation.

"Adam was tempted by the enemy, and he fell. It was not indwelling sin that caused him to yield; for God made him pure and upright; in His own image. He was as faultless as the angels before the throne. There were in him no corrupt principles, no tendencies to evil. But when Christ came to meet the temptations of Satan, He bore `the likeness of sinful flesh.'" Signs of the Times, October 17, 1900 (vol 4, p 153).

Adam yielded to sin, not because there was an inside urging or desire to commit sin, but he did so without any inner desire. But when Christ came to this earth, He experienced these inward, downward pulls toward sin, but He never once gave into it. But why did Christ have to stoop so low as to take our fallen, sinful nature upon Himself? Why did He have to live in sinful flesh? Why couldn't He have lived in sinless flesh and yet still save us? Why did He have to humiliate Himself and stoop so low for our salvation?

So God, who possesses an unfallen and sinless nature, cannot be tempted with evil. Yet the scriptures tell us many times that Christ was tempted to do evil. So while Christ lived on this earth, He did not live in the nature of His Godhood. He did not live in sinless flesh with an unfallen nature, because He would not have been able to be tempted with evil if He did and thus He could not know what we are experiencing. Christ did not live on earth as a God. He chose to live on earth as a man. Christ came as a man and thus He was tempted like every man is tempted. And how is that?

The Greek word for lust used here is #1939 in Strong's Concordance, and it means "desire". So every man, including Jesus, is tempted when they are drawn away by their own lust, or are drawn away by these naturally occurring inward desires and inclinations that originate from the fallen, sinful human nature and sinful flesh, and then they are enticed or urged to give in to these inward desires and to commit sin. But, praise God, Christ never once gave in to these enticements. He never once committed sin.

Therefore enticement to sin comes after we are drawn away by these inward, sinful desires or inclinations. Christ resisted every enticement to sin which Satan could bring to bear against Him.

"The enticements which Christ resisted were those that we find it so difficult to withstand. They were urged upon Him in as much greater degree as His character is superior to ours....

"In our humanity, Christ was to redeem Adam's failure. But when Adam was assailed by the tempter, none of the effects of sin were upon him. He stood in the strength of perfect manhood, possessing the full vigor of mind and body. He was surrounded with the glories of Eden, and was in daily communion with heavenly beings. It was not thus with Jesus when He entered the wilderness to cope with Satan. For four thousand years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity. Only thus could He rescue man from the lowest depths of his degradation." Desire of Ages, p 116-117.

Only by taking man's fallen nature and living in sinful flesh could Christ rescue you and me from the lowest depths of our degradation. But Christ never once committed sin so He did not have any sinful desires of His own making. But because He voluntarily took our sinful flesh and fallen nature upon Himself He did, in consequence of this, experience all the strength of these naturally occurring inclinations and desires. Christ continually had to deny these tendencies of the fallen nature. Why? Because "the fallen nature of Adam always strives for the mastery." Adventist Home, p 205.

Hence the fallen nature which Christ took upon Himself, and the sinful flesh which He chose to live in, always strove for the mastery. But Christ never once gave in to these downward pulls and desires to sin. And praise God that He didn't. But how much suffering did Christ experience when He denied these inward tendencies toward sin? It caused Him intense, internal suffering.

"For it became him (Father), for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings....

So what caused Christ internal suffering? It was by being tempted. Why would temptation cause Christ suffering? Because He always resisted it and never committed sin. Then where did these temptations originate from? From without His person? No, because there would be no suffering by resisting temptations outside of the flesh. But temptations originating from within the flesh through the fallen, sinful nature would indeed cause suffering when they were resisted.

Thus when Christ denied and resisted these inward inclinations and desires toward sin, which originated naturally through the fallen, sinful flesh and nature, it caused Him great internal suffering. But what did this internal suffering signify? It signified that instead of doing His own will, He chose to do the will of His Father, and thus showed that He had gained the victory over that temptation by resisting it's downward pull, and this victory made His character perfect without the slightest spot of sin.

Exactly how much is Christ like you and me? Did Christ really experience these natural, inward inclinations, these passions and desires toward sin when tempted? Did He in reality experience these?

"Though He (Christ) had all the strength of passion of humanity, never did he yield to do one single act which was not pure and elevating and ennobling." In Heavenly Places, p 155.

"Temptation, however strong, is never an excuse for sin....Cry unto the Lord, tempted soul. Cast yourself, helpless, unworthy, upon Jesus, and claim His very promise. The Lord will hear. He knows how strong are the inclinations of the natural heart, and He will help in every time of temptation." Testimonies, vol 5, p 177.

What does our Lord and Saviour know? He knows how strong are those downward inclinations of the natural heart. And because our Saviour knows these, He can and will help us in every time of temptation! Praise God, brothers and sisters!

"It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam, He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthy ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life....

"...into the world where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life's peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss." Desire of Ages, p 49.

"We are compassed with the infirmities of humanity. So also was Christ. That He might by His own example condemn sin in the flesh, He took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh." Manuscript Releases, vol 17, p 28.

"He (Christ) knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity..." Signs of the Times, October 7, 1897 (vol 3, p 421) (see also Bible Echo, February 24, 1896; Signs of the Times, September 30, 1889 (vol 2, p 235); Review and Herald, January 28, 1909 (vol 5, p 491); Review and Herald, April 4, 1875 (vol 1, p 161-62).

"Our Redeemer perfectly understood the wants of humanity. He who condescended to take upon Himself man's nature was acquainted with man's weakness....Christ took upon Himself our infirmities, and in the weakness of humanity He needed to seek strength from the Father." Review and Herald, October 11, 1881 (vol 1, p 289) (see also Signs of the Times, January 15, 1885 (vol 1, p 480); December 3, 1902 (vol 4, p 271).

"He endured every test that man will ever be called upon to endure. He met all the temptations which man will meet in his life experience." Manuscript Releases, vol 21, p 402.

"He (Christ) took human nature. He became flesh even as we are....Every temptation that could be brought against fallen humanity, He met and overcame....Had He not been fully human, He could not have been our substitute." Bible Echo, August 2, 1897.

So Christ was in all points tempted just like you and I are tempted, yet He chose not to give in to these inner urgings to commit sin. He chose to resist these. But if Christ did not take our fallen, sinful nature and flesh upon Himself, then He could not really be our Substitute and thus we would be hopelessly lost. But praise God that Christ chose to reach down to where we were found and become one of us that He might raise us up, become our Substitute and we could thus find help in every time of need.

"...(Christ) clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might take on Himself the weakness of human nature....He was to suffer being tempted in all points upon which fallen men are tempted, that by His own experience He might become acquainted with the temptation of humanity, and know how to succor those who are severely tempted." MR, vol 17, p 29-30.

"Alone He (Christ) must tread the path; alone He must bear the burden. Upon Him who had laid off His glory and accepted the weakness of humanity the redemption of the world must rest. He saw and felt it all, but His purpose remained steadfast. Upon His arm depended the salvation of the fallen race, and He reached out His hand to grasp the hand of Omnipotent Love." Desire of Ages, p 111.

Praise God brothers and sisters! Our Saviour knows by experience what we are going through when tempted. And thus He knows from experience how to deliver us from temptation.

Our beloved Saviour chose to live in and experience all that is common with those who have fallen nature and sinful flesh. Christ has felt and knows by personal experience all the natural passion of humanity, all the downward inclinations of the natural heart, all the hereditary tendencies toward sin, all the infirmities, all the weaknesses, all the afflictions, all the temptations, all the strength of Satan's power which humanity experiences and knows all about. Christ has felt it all. There is no experience which we can go through when tempted that Christ has not already experienced and overcome.

He is a perfect Saviour, brothers and sisters, and in uniting ourselves with Him, and with Christ united with the Father, then we have all the divine power necessary to escape from sin and destruction. It is a solemn reality that Christ became just like those He wished to save, just like you and me, and thus Christ understands everything we suffer and go through when tempted.

"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Hebrews 2:17.

"Jesus clothed His divinity with humanity that He might have an experience in all that pertains to human life." Review and Herald, December 24, 1889 (vol 2, p 351).

What type of an identification? A partial identification? An identification that does not know what we experience when tempted? No. A complete identification--one in which nothing is lacking in understanding what we experience with fallen nature and sinful flesh. May our Father and Jesus Christ be praised forever and ever for all that they have done, for all that they have suffered through in reaching down to the lowest degradation of fallen humanity that we might be raised up and be connected with God through our Saviour. Praise Them forever for all that They have endured for unworthy you and me.

"It should be to us a cause of continual gratitude and rejoicing that Jesus knows our weakness and is acquainted with our temptations. We are too much in the habit of thinking that the Son of God was a being so entirely exalted above us that it is an impossibility for him to enter into our trials and temptations, and that he can have no sympathy with us in our weakness and frailties. This is because we do not take in the fact of his oneness with humanity. He took upon him the likeness of sinful flesh, and was made in all points like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. He has engaged himself to save every son and daughter of Adam who will consent to be saved in God's appointed way." Signs of the Times, May 16, 1895 (vol 3, p 207).

So Christ was made just like you and me with the same fallen, sinful nature, living in the same sinful flesh. There was not a single principle of humanity in which Christ was different from us in regards to the fallen, sinful nature and sinful flesh. If the ladder, which represented Christ, would fail by one step to reach down to where we are, we would be hopelessly lost.

So Christ chose not to violate even the slightest principle of human nature. And yet many cannot understand the truth that Christ became just like them in order to personally save them from sin and destruction.

"Before beginning His public ministry, Christ submitted to the fierce assaults of the enemy, knowing that without conflict there could be no victory. He condescended to engage in the contest under any circumstances that the foe might require.

"In all things He was made `like unto His brethren.' He was `in all points tempted like as we are.' `In that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted." Signs of the Times, December 3, 1902 (vol 4, p 271).

Those who continue to deny that Christ took upon Himself our fallen nature and lived in sinful flesh, those who deny that Christ felt the same desires and downward pulls and inclinations toward sin which we experience when tempted, are actually believing and teaching a doctrine which is opposed to Christ and His gospel of salvation. They are not following God, and are guilty of robbing a perfect and complete Saviour from others.

"And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." 1 John 4:1-3.

Now the flesh that it is talking about here is not just the fact that Jesus was born in human flesh, even the anti-Christian Roman Catholic Church teaches that. But this is talking about Christ having the same sinful flesh as you and me. And yet Christ resisted all these downward pulls and inclinations and urgings toward sin thereby experiencing the keenest internal suffering so that we could be provided with a way of escape from having to give in and commit sin.

But just how much has Christ inwardly suffered by resisting temptation and condemning sin in the flesh? How much suffering was Christ willing to endure for our salvation?

"He was subjected to the fiercest assaults of Satan, but not for a moment did he yield to the terrible temptations brought against him, or become discouraged in his work of bringing redemption to the race. He gave his life for the salvation of a fallen race. Who can understand the depth and the breadth of love so amazing!" Review and Herald, January 3, 1907 (vol 5, p 305).

"Only by the inexpressible anguish which Christ endured can we estimate the evil of unrestrained indulgence....He has endured all that it is possible for us to bear." Desire of Ages, p 122-23.

"More than we could possibly endure Christ endured in our behalf. Sinless to the last, he died for us. Justice demanded not merely that sin be pardoned; the death penalty must be met. The Saviour has met this demand. His broken body, his gushing blood, satisfied the claims of the law. Thus he bridged the gulf made by sin between earth and heaven. He suffered in the flesh, that with his robe of righteousness he might cover the defenseless sinner." Youth's Instructor, April 16, 1903.

So Christ was subjected to the fiercest assaults which Satan could cast at Him. Christ endured inexpressible anguish so severe that there are not words to describe it. He has endured all that it is possible for any human being to bear, and thus He has bridged the gulf that sin had made between God and us. Christ chose to leave heaven and to come down to this evil world to become one of His fallen creation and voluntarily taking upon Himself our fallen sinful nature and sinful flesh, thereby feeling everything we feel when tempted to sin. All this was so that we, through His strength and righteousness, might be connected back to our God. Out of infinite love Christ eternally humbled Himself in order that He might cover and shield us, and instead bear the wrath of God for our sin!

Please join with me in proclaiming: WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN TO RECEIVE POWER AND RICHES AND WISDOM AND STRENGTH AND HONOR AND GLORY AND BLESSING! WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN AND HAS REDEEMED US BACK TO THE FATHER THROUGH HIS BLOOD!

But after everything that we have so-far covered, there is still a question remaining. Why did Christ voluntarily take upon Himself our fallen nature and sinful flesh? Why did He choose to condemn sin in the flesh instead of outside His flesh? Why did He choose to suffer internally by being tempted? Why did Christ choose to feel all the inward inclinations and desires toward sin? Why did He choose to experience all the strength of Satan's fierce temptations? Why did Christ take, "our nature, and in it lived a life of perfect obedience" (Signs of the Times Jan. 25, 1899)? Why was there not a single principle of fallen, sinful human nature in which Christ would violate? Why did He take everything that is common to humanity in fallen nature? We are told why in Romans 8:4:

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Christ was willing to go through everything that He did so that the righteousness of God's law might be fulfilled in you and me if we walk not after the desires of the flesh, but after the desire of the Spirit.

"Christ declared...I will endure every temptation wherewith man is beset. I will call to My aid the powers of heaven, that men and women, imbued with My Spirit, may overcome as I overcame." Manuscript Releases, vol 5, p 114.

"The Saviour took upon Himself the infirmities of humanity and lived a sinless life, that men might have no fear that because of the weakness of human nature they could not overcome." Ministry of Healing, p 180.

So why did Christ go through everything that He did? Why did He condescend to humiliate Himself by taking our fallen nature and living in sinful flesh? So that we would have no fear, when we experience these same inner urgings from our fallen nature and sinful flesh, that we could not overcome these and be able to keep God's law!